The good settlement of clogging issues (the drips) is the key to reserve the evenly water discharge, enlarge longevity and enhance efficiency of the emitter. Currently, there is a complex situation of water shortage and water pollution. The reclaimed water, slightly polluted water, high sand water or brackish water is often used in agricultural irrigation, making the clogging even more risky and complicated.
The resolution to the problems lies in the update of the emitter structure, where the particle transport capability and self-clean capability of the wall surface can be greatly optimal. The energy dissipation designing is the key.
Labyrinth channel is the most recognized design for energy dissipation. However, this kind of design is complicated. As it is short of knowledge background and due to its heavy reliance on the simulation of foreign advanced drip, it takes several modifications before finally being produced. It is especially true in the modelling process. If the spare parts fail to meet the requirement during testing period, the modification has to start back to the mold alteration. Sometimes the mold even has the risk of being turned down. The whole product-making period, therefore, will last 4-5 months with the cost over 50 thousand Yuan. It is time and energy consuming, expensive, and most importantly, lack of quality assurance.
There are some specialists who have developed new ways to optimize the drip irrigation emitter. For instance, Professor Yang Peiling from China Agricultural University greatly improved the anti-clogging capacity of the drip emitter by downsizing the section of structural characteristics of the path. (China patent, CN 200710063794.6); Wang Jiandong with his co-researchers from China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research put forward a low-pressure sawtooth channel drip irrigation emitter through experimental and simulate study. (China Patent, CN201220669437.0). Above mentioned methods, however, mainly focus on the optimal design of channel borderline. No clarification is given to the control value of the design nor is focused on the development of an optimal flow capacity-oriented design.